Gabby Giffords Applauds CA Governor For Signing New Bill To Close Hate Crime Gap In State Gun Laws

October 15, 2017 — Today, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the Co-Founder of the gun violence prevention organization Americans for Responsible Solutions, applauded the signing by California Governor Jerry Brown of a new bipartisan, commonsense gun safety bill into law, which will close a gap in California law that permits individuals convicted of hate crimes to possess and acquire firearms within 10 years of conviction. The legislation, called The Disarm Hate Act (AB 785), was drafted and sponsored by ARS’ partner organization, the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords:

“From the Pulse nightclub shooting to the sickening protest in Charlottesville, our nation has seen tragedy unfold when hatred and bigotry are emboldened. It gives me hope to see states, like California, not only recognize the realities of hatred in our society, but actively work to make it harder for dangerous people fueled by hate-filled intentions to access firearms and commit crimes. The law signed by Gov. Brown is the latest example of California’s commitment to building safer, stronger, and more inclusive communities. In the coming years, I hope more states will follow California’s lead and take responsible steps that make it harder for hate crime offenders to access guns.”

About AB 785

Under California law, individuals convicted of any of roughly 40 separate misdemeanors are prohibited from owning or acquiring guns for 10 years after conviction, unless they successfully petition a court to demonstrate that they are not a threat to public safety. However, existing law allows people convicted of ha...